President gives interview to Russian, Belarusian press ahead of visit

Hanoi (VNA) – President Tran Dai Quang has
granted an interview to press agencies of Russia and Belarus on the occasion of
his upcoming official tour to the two countries, during which he stressed that
potential to develop cooperation between Vietnam and the two countries has yet
to be tapped fully.

Regarding the Vietnam-Belarus relations, he said the
time-honoured friendship between the two countries, the political trust and
determination of their leaders, and the recent positive outcomes of bilateral
cooperation provide a firm foundation for the bilateral relations to reach a
new height and meet interests of both peoples.

According to the President, important economic-trade
agreements that already took effect, such as the free trade agreement between
Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Vietnam-Belarus protocol
supporting production of engine-powered vehicles in Vietnam, will create a
breakthrough in the two sides’ economic, trade and investment cooperation.

Assessing achievements in the Vietnam-Russia
relations, the Vietnamese State leader emphasised that after the establishment
of diplomatic ties in 1950, the two countries became strategic partners in 2001
and upgraded their relation to comprehensive strategic partnership in July
2012.

Throughout the past 65 years, bilateral political
ties have been strengthened continuously through the regular exchange of
all-level delegations and the mechanisms of consultation and strategic dialogue.

Economic and trade ties have developed rapidly,
while cooperation in defence security, science and technology, education and
training, culture and tourism have been intensified.

Cultural exchange activities have been stepped up as
well, helping strengthen mutual understanding between the two peoples, he
added.

To develop the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive
strategic partnership in the coming time, President Quang said the two
countries should continue to enhance political trust and push ahead with
cooperation in the key fields of trade, energy, defense-security,
education-training, and science-technology, as well as other arenas such as
high technology and new materials.

The President highly valued the EAEU-Vietnam free
trade agreement (FTA) and expressed his belief that the effective
implementation of this pact will create new momentum to increase the bilateral
trade to 10 billion USD by 2020.

He noted that the FTA is strategically important as
it creates a legal framework and favourable conditions to develop Vietnam’s
trade and economic cooperation with the EAEU in general and each member nation
in particular.

This is the first agreement that the EAEU has signed
with an extra-bloc country and the first of its kind that Vietnam has struck
with a big promising common market comprising of five countries, namely Russia,
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with a total gross domestic
product (GDP) of 2.2 trillion USD and 183-strong population, he said.

After the agreement takes effect, trade between
Vietnam and Russia is expected to increase by 18-20 percent per year on average
to reach 10-12 billion USD in 2020, he added.

The FTA also offers brilliant opportunities for
Vietnam and Belarus to develop trade and economic relations as it will abolish
90 percent of tax lines, equivalent to 90 percent of bilateral trade turnover.

President Tran Dai Quang will pay official visits to
Belarus and Russia from June 26 to July 1.-VNA